The Mirror (Northwest Passage Book 5)

by John A. Heldt

  "That's all right," Ginny said. "Katie and I have had plenty. Besides, I think cookies are the last thing on her mind right now."

  James chuckled.

  "I imagine so."

  Ginny walked to the end of the deck and put her hands on the railing that Joe Jorgenson had repaired three weeks earlier. She closed her eyes, inhaled fragrant air that drifted in from a neighbor's rose garden, and exhaled slowly. She opened her eyes and looked at James.

  "I'm sorry," Ginny said.

  James joined her at the railing.

  "Sorry for what?"

  "I'm sorry my sister doesn't have better manners. She's hosting this party too. It was rude of her to leave you all alone."

  "It's OK," James said. "She has a right to have fun too. I've been waiting for those two to go at it. You can't deny those kind of feelings for long."

  "Apparently not," Ginny said.

  They both laughed.

  "Don't be too hard on your sister, Ginny. She's doing a good thing."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean she's put a spark in Mike. I've never seen him like this. He's happy all the time now," James said. "Before you two came along, he was as sad as a dog without his owner."

  "Katie told me about his mom. That's so unfair."

  "I know. Mrs. Hayes is a great lady. She deserves better. But that's what makes Katie being around all the more special. Mike needs someone like her right now. He needs it a lot."

  Ginny nodded. She knew James was right, but she also knew something he did not. She knew that for all the good Katie was doing Mike, she was also doing him a great disservice. She would break his heart in September and maybe leave him worse than she had found him.

  She lifted her head and saw a star streak across the sky. At least she thought it was a star. For all she knew, it could have been a satellite. The Russians and Americans were already well into a space race that would run well into the next century.

  "It's nice out here tonight," Ginny said.

  "It is."

  "Do you know what day this is?"

  "It's June 6," James said.

  "It is, but it's not just any June 6. It's the twentieth anniversary of D-Day. I read a big article about it this morning in the Sun. It was really interesting."

  "If you like all that war stuff, you should talk to my dad. He joined the Army when he was twenty, right after he married my mom. He saw himself plenty of action the last six months."

  "He was in Europe?"

  James nodded.

  "He was in France, Belgium, Germany – the whole nine yards. He missed D-Day though. We're all thankful for that. A lot of guys didn't make it past that."

  James spread his arms across the railing and looked at Ginny more closely.

  "Did your dad see a lot of action?"

  Ginny smiled and sighed.

  "Oh, he saw a lot of action at that age – just not against the Nazis."

  "He was in the Pacific then?"

  Ginny shook her head and then looked at James thoughtfully.

  "He didn't serve in the war," she said. "Some of my other relatives did, but not my dad. He's always been more of a civilian kind of guy."

  "I see."

  "Tell me more about your family," Ginny said. "They sound interesting."

  "What would you like to know?"

  "Oh, I don't know. What does your dad do for a living?"

  "He runs a music store on the Ave," James said.

  "He sells records?"

  "He sells records, record players, guitars, drums, and even band instruments, though he's been trying to get away from that lately. There's too much competition."

  "How about your mom? What does she do?" Ginny asked.

  "She stays at home. She stays at home and raises six knuckleheads."

  Ginny laughed.

  "Where do you fall in the order of the knuckleheads?"

  "I'm the oldest," James said. "I have two brothers and three sisters. The youngest is Danielle. She's five. She starts kindergarten next year."

  Ginny smiled at James and looked away.

  "What? Is something funny?"

  "I was just thinking. Your family is an awful lot like mine. We even have a common family name. My grandma's maiden name was Green."

  "See? You have all the family you need right here. We're probably cousins!" James said.

  They both laughed.

  When Ginny collected herself, she looked at James less like a coworker or a casual friend and more like someone she'd like to know better. She felt a sense of ease around him that she didn't feel around other young men, including the one studying for his finals at the university.

  "Your family sounds nice, James. I'd like to meet them."

  James cocked his head and looked at Ginny with serious eyes.

  "Then why don't you?"

  "Why don't I what?" Ginny asked.

  "Why don't you come over to my house for dinner tomorrow? You can even go to church with us if you'd like. My mom would like that."

  Ginny studied his face for a moment and saw that he was serious.

  "You want me to have dinner with your family?"

  "If you want," James said. "If you don't, that's OK. I understand if you have other plans."

  Ginny smiled.

  "You picked a good day, James, a really good day. As it turns out, I don't have other plans. In fact, I don't have any plans at all."

  CHAPTER 40: GINNY

  Sunday, June 7, 1964

  Sitting at a large table in the dining room of Marvin and Cora Green, Ginny was thankful for one thing: the stares were friendly. If blue-eyed blondes were curiosities in this house, they were at least welcome ones.

  "You're pretty," a girl said to Ginny.

  "Danielle, you shouldn't talk that way," Cora said. "You shouldn't comment on how people look, even if you say something nice."

  "I'm sorry, Mama."

  "It's all right, Mrs. Green. I don't mind," Ginny said.

  Ginny smiled as she considered the compliment. She may have been pretty, but she had nothing on the youngest person at the table. Wearing a lacy white dress and a pink bow in her tightly pulled hair, Danielle Green was the dictionary definition of adorable.

  "Thank you, Danielle," Ginny said. "You're pretty too."

  The girl beamed, squirmed in her seat, and then stared at her sister, Bernice, with wide eyes. The curiosity at the table had just made her day.

  "Do you have enough to eat, Ginny?" Cora asked. "There's more roast and potatoes in the kitchen – a lot more. There's more squash too."

  "I have plenty, Mrs. Green. Thank you. I'm saving room for your pie. James tells me your pies are the best in the city."

  Cora smiled.

  "I don't know about that, but I do know they get men to open their wallets at bake sales."

  Several at the table laughed.

  "I'm sure they do," Ginny said. "I noticed a crowd in the church basement this morning. Is it that way every week?"

  "It is every time we bring out something worth eating."

  Cora lowered a napkin to her lap and looked closely at the visitor."

  "Did you enjoy the service?" Cora asked.

  "I did."

  Ginny did too. The late service at the University African Methodist Episcopal Church on Fifty-Third Street was unlike any she had ever attended. It was social, spirited, and unabashedly political. The minister had encouraged his congregation to not only spread the Word of the Lord but also support civil-rights measures at the local, state, and federal level.

  "I'm sure it was much different than what you're used to," Cora said.

  "It was, but I still liked it," Ginny said.

  "What church do you normally attend?"

  Ginny was tempted to say "the big one on Fifty-Sixth Street," but she knew that wouldn't cut it with this crowd. Ravenna Lutheran wouldn't be built for another thirty years.

  "I haven't attended any in Seattle – before today, that is. Back home I went to a Lutheran
church in Thousand Oaks."

  "So your family is Lutheran?" Cora asked.

  "My mom and siblings are. So is my dad when he's not golfing or fishing, even though he was raised a Presbyterian."

  Marvin laughed.

  "Oh, Lord, I'll bet there's excitement in your house," Cora said. "Well, I'm glad you were able to join us today. I think it's good to see other churches every now and then."

  "I do too," Ginny said. "I figure if I visit at least one new church a year, God will give me extra credit."

  Marvin laughed again.

  "You've got yourself quite a friend there, son."

  "She's even funnier at the store," James said.

  Ginny smiled at the Green men. She wasn't trying to be funny, but she was glad her words brought laughter to the table. She wanted this family to be comfortable in her presence. Deciding that she was comfortable enough to ask them questions, she turned to the head of the household.

  "James tells me that you run a music store, Mr. Green. What's that like?"

  Marvin pushed his plate forward and folded his hands on the table.

  "I'll tell you what it's like, Ginny. It's fun," Marvin said. "It's a lot of fun. You get to meet a lot of interesting people."

  "Have you ever met anyone famous?"

  Marvin took a sip of water and nodded.

  "As a matter of fact, I have. Have you ever heard of Ray Charles?"

  Ginny smiled.

  "The name rings a bell."

  "I met him in forty-nine, when I was selling and not managing. Ray was still working the blues circuit here. I didn't do much more than say hello when he stopped in the store, but it was still a thrill. I can't imagine him coming back here now."

  "Have you met anyone famous since then?"

  "No. I still do business with folks who may be famous someday. A lot of musicians making their way to Vancouver or Portland stop in to say hello, but none are as big as Ray."

  "What about Jimi?" James asked.

  "Well, I guess there's him," Marvin said.

  "Who's Jimi?" Ginny asked.

  "That would be Jimi Hendrix. He's a local kid who stirred things up a few years back. He played a guitar like the devil himself," Marvin said. "I haven't heard much about him lately. He went in the Army for a while. Last I heard he was back east doing something or another."

  Ginny laughed to herself. Dinner was getting better.

  "He sounds like someone with a lot of potential," Ginny said.

  "Oh, he is," Marvin said. "Or at least he was. You never know how these kids will turn out. One minute they're setting the world on fire, the next they're pumping gas."

  Ten minutes later Ginny placed a napkin on her plate and watched three boys and three girls do the same. She had eaten enough to feed half the staff at Greer's Grocery.

  "Are you ready for that pie now, Ginny?" Cora asked.

  "I think I'll wait, if that's OK."

  "It's all right by me. The pie can sit for a while."

  Cora turned to face her oldest daughter, seventeen-year-old Theresa.

  "The dishes are another matter. You and your sisters take care of them now."

  "Do I have to right now?" Theresa asked.

  "Yes, you have to right now."

  Cora glanced at her oldest son.

  "James, I want you to help too."

  "Me?"

  "Yes, you. I want you to help in the kitchen and then help Earl with his homework."

  "What about Ginny?" James asked.

  "You just leave your friend to me."

  Cora gave her son a scolding glance and then turned to face her guest.

  "Are your shoes good for walking, Ginny?"

  Ginny tentatively nodded.

  "I think so."

  "That's good," Cora said. "I was hoping you'd say that. Let's you and me go for a walk."

  CHAPTER 41: GINNY

  The walk began in silence. For nearly two minutes, Cora Green did nothing but smile, rub her chin, and occasionally look at the young woman at her side. That changed when they approached a nondescript gray rambler five doors down on Eighth Avenue Northeast.

  "Do you recognize that house?" Cora asked.

  "I do," Ginny said.

  "Then you know who lives there."

  "I do."

  "I've known Mary Hayes for fifteen years. She was one of the first people I met when we moved to the university district," Cora said. "She was also one of the few people to welcome us. When others began talking about the Negro family that moved into the Carson house, Mary let her actions do the talking. She invited us into her home for dinner."

  "I didn't know that."

  "She did. Never mind that she had a son dying of cancer and a million other things to worry about. She wanted to make sure we had a proper welcome to the neighborhood."

  "Is that how Mike and James became friends?"

  "That's exactly how. They were two boys who needed someone. Michael needed a new brother. James needed a friend. They've been like peas in a pod ever since."

  Ginny laughed.

  "What's so funny?" Cora asked.

  "I'm sorry. I was just thinking of something James told me on a lunch break last month. He said you liked Mike so much that you 'adopted' him a couple years ago. Is that true?"

  "It's true. I told Mary that right to her face. I said if Michael ever needed another family, she could send him right up the street. We'd make space for him. I love that boy."

  Ginny smiled.

  "You're not the only one."

  "What do you mean?"

  "My sister thinks he's pretty swell too. She's with him right now."

  Cora chuckled.

  "James told me as much. He said Michael doesn't talk to him as much since Katie Smith came to town. He's not upset though."

  "He's not?"

  "No. He's not. He's happy. He hadn't seen Michael smile two days in a row until last month. I don't know what your sister does for that boy, but she does something. He's a different person."

  "She's just a good person, that's all. They both are."

  Cora looked at Ginny closely.

  "You don't seem all that happy about it. Don't you approve of Michael?"

  "Oh, I approve. I definitely approve. I just worry about him getting hurt.

  "You might have to explain that."

  Ginny paused before answering. She and Katie had discussed the "going back to California" fiction at least a half-dozen times but had shared it with others only once. She didn't want to share it now, but she knew she probably didn't have a choice.

  "I don't know how long Katie and I will remain in Seattle, Mrs. Green."

  "You're leaving already? You just got here."

  "I know. Nothing's official. We like it here. We just don't know if we'll stay. If we don't get accepted into the university or make enough to pay our tuition, then we won't have much reason to stick around. Coming here was an experiment. We don't know how it's going to turn out."

  "I understand," Cora said. "I once dreamed of going to college. I even saved money for it. Some things just don't work out the way we want them to."

  Ginny nodded.

  "What I don't understand is how my son fits into your life."

  Ginny started to answer but stopped when they approached a busy intersection. When the traffic cleared and they crossed the street, she picked up where Cora had left off.

  "You want to know how James fits into my life?"

  "Yes, I do."

  "We're friends, Mrs. Green – friends and coworkers."

  "That's what James said."

  "You don't believe him?" Ginny asked.

  "Oh, I believe him. I just think there's more to it."

  Ginny looked at Cora with puzzled eyes.

  "My son has friends, Ginny. Some, like Michael, are good friends," Cora said. "In nineteen years, though, James has never invited a girl to our house, much less a pretty white girl from God knows where. So when he tells me this morning to set an extra plate for dinn
er, he has my attention. He has my attention – and I have questions."

  Ginny sighed.

  "I understand. I'm a little surprised to be here too. I know that James likes me, but I never imagined he would invite me to dinner."

  "You didn't see it coming?"

  "No. I didn't see it coming at all," Ginny said. "James would probably kill me for saying this, but I think he felt sorry for me at our get-together last night."

  "Why?"

  OK, Ginny. Dig yourself out of this.

  "There were eight people at the party, Mrs. Green. Randy Templeton and Greg Reynolds brought their girlfriends. You know about Mike and Katie. James and I were the only ones there who weren't dating," Ginny said. "It was very awkward for a while. I think James felt bad because I didn't have someone special and wanted to cheer me up by doing something nice."

  Cora glanced at Ginny.

  "Are you sure?"

  Ginny nodded.

  "I'm sure. He was just being nice. You don't have anything to worry about. James likes me as a friend, just like I like him as a friend. If it makes you feel any better, I am currently seeing someone. He attends the university."

  Cora smiled and shook her head.

  "James told me that too. I was kind of hoping it wasn't true."

  "Why is that?"

  "Why? Because you seem like the kind of girl I'd like my son to see."

  Ginny cocked her head.

  "You really mean that?"

  "I really mean that," Cora said. "But seeing that you two are only just friends, I guess there's only one thing I can do."

  "What's that?"

  Cora put her hand on Ginny's shoulder.

  "I have to treat my son's friend to cherry pie."

  CHAPTER 42: GINNY

  Bellevue, Washington – Saturday, June 13, 1964

  Joyce Carrington's nightmare materialized in less than three hours. At eight forty-five, most of the food at the graduation party ran out as guests continued to stream in. Fortunately for those who came to drink and socialize, it didn't matter. The beer, wine, and booze flowed as freely as the pointless conversations.

  "There are a lot of people here," Ginny said. "No wonder your mom looks stressed."

  Steve laughed.

  "She'll be fine. Half the people I've talked to ate dinner before they came. They don't care that the food's gone. The others are too smashed to notice."